Tyson Cole and Jessica Dupuy's Uchi Salad
Ingredients
For the Sushi Zu:2 oz. kombu seaweed*
8 oz. rice wine vinegar
8 oz. sugar
For the edamame-jalapeno dressing:
9 oz. edamame, shucked
2½ oz. peeled garlic, roughly chopped
1½ oz. peeled shallots, roughly chopped
2 to 4 oz. vegetable oil (as needed)
2½ oz. jalapeño
1 oz. Sushi Zu
2 oz. water (as needed)
For the bell pepper piperade:
6½ oz. yellow bell pepper, rough chopped
3½ oz. peeled shallot, rough chopped
1½ oz. peeled garlic, rough chopped
3½ oz. olive oil
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch paprika
Pinch finely chopped parsley
For the salad:
Salad
1 head baby romaine lettuce
Fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
(*Kombu seaweed may be found at Asian markets or Local Harvest.)
Preparation
Sushi Zu:
• Wipe kombu with wet paper towel until all salt sediment has been removed.
• Whisk remaining ingredients together in a small sauce pot over medium-low heat until sugar has dissolved.
• Let the kombu steep for 10 minutes before removing. • Refrigerate Sushi Zu for later use.
Edamame-jalapeno dressing:
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
• Combine edamame, garlic, shallots and vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Sweat the mix until ingredients become translucent.
• Strain and reserve oil.
• Place 2 or 3 whole jalapeños on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Let jalapeños cool, then peel and seed.
• Place vegetables in a blender along with the remaining raw jalapeños (seeds included). Start with a small amount of water, and purée, slowly adding more water.
• Add Sushi Zu.
• Emulsify by slowly adding the reserved oil while blending. Consistency should be about the same viscosity of mayonnaise.
Bell pepper piperade:
• Combine the first 5 ingredients and sweat vegetables until tender.
• Add paprika and remove from heat.
• When mixture has cooled down, add chopped parlsey. • Reserve at room temperature for later use.
To assemble the salad:
• Rinse and towel dry whole lettuce leaves.
• Place lettuce leaves, stem down into two shot glasses, creating a bouquet-like arrangement in each glass.
• Add a small squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt on the leaves.
• In another small vessel or cup, partially fill with edamame-jalapeño dressing.
• Spoon a small amount of the room-temperature piperade on top of the dressing to finish.